CN107000312A - The increasing material manufacturing of pipeline - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a kind of increasing material manufacturing of pipeline.One reducing mechanism, is arranged to be connected with platform, and for reducing a pipeline by the opening in the platform.One extruder head, is arranged to receive material and the material is extruded by nozzle selection.One pallet, is connected to the extruder head, and is arranged to the extruder head being moved to specified location.One controller, is connected to the pallet, and is arranged to guide the pallet to move the extruder head according to pipeline data, and the pipeline data recognizes the geometry of pipeline.One stabilizing mechanism, is arranged to that the pipeline is maintained at into desired position during extruded material.

Description

Additive Manufacturing of Pipes

related application

This application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application No. 62/079,187, filed November 13, 2014, entitled "Additive Manufacturing of Pipelines," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

technical field

The present invention relates generally to pipe fabrication, and in particular to additive manufacturing of pipes.

Background technique

As a renewable energy source for electrical energy, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) has received increasing attention. OTEC uses the ocean's natural thermal gradient to generate electricity. In geographic regions of warm surface water and cold deep water, the temperature difference can be used to drive a steam cycle, which turns a turbine and generates power. Warm surface seawater passes through a heat exchanger, where a low-boiling-point working fluid is evaporated to drive a turbine generator to generate electricity.

Unfortunately, a challenge for OTEC is the need for cold water pipes (CWP) that must be able to draw large volumes of water from the depths of the ocean to the surface.

The CWP used in OTEC is very long and has a huge diameter. For example, a CWP may have a diameter of 4 meters (m) and a length of more than 1000 meters. Conventional CWPs are constructed in situ, by joining smaller pipe sections together to form a CWP of the desired length, or by molding pipe sections at deep water locations and assembling them as they are molded. There are a number of problems with conventional CWP construction techniques, including the time required to construct such a pipe, and the space required to mold the sections of pipe. These problems alone would make many other suitable applications of OTEC infeasible. Therefore, CWP fabrication techniques that avoid these problems would be beneficial.

Contents of the invention

The invention relates to mechanisms for producing pipes using additive manufacturing. These embodiments facilitate the vertical generation of relatively long pipes of relatively large diameter in situ. In some embodiments, the inner diameter of the conduit may exceed 4 meters (m), and the conduit has a length greater than 1000 meters. Among other features, the described embodiments greatly reduce the time required to install cold water pipes (CWP) in ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) systems.

In one embodiment, a system is provided. The system includes a lowering mechanism configured for coupling with the platform and for lowering the duct assembly through the opening of the platform. The system also includes an extrusion head configured to receive material and to selectively extrude the material through the nozzle. A stage is connected to the extrusion head and is configured to move the extrusion head to a designated position. A controller is connected to the gantry and is configured to control the gantry to move the extrusion head according to the piping data identifying the geometry of the piping assembly. A stabilizing mechanism is configured to hold the tubing assembly in a desired position.

In one embodiment, the lowering mechanism comprises a plurality of winches comprising respective cables, wherein each cable is configured for connection to the duct assembly. In one embodiment, the conduit assembly may include a ring of material, such as a weight, on which the conduit wall is created.

In one embodiment, the material comprises high density polyethylene.

In one embodiment, the controller is configured to direct the extrusion head to generate the duct wall of the duct assembly as a honeycomb structure. The honeycomb structure is characterized by a void to material ratio. In one embodiment, the void to material ratio varies along the longitudinal length of the conduit wall.

In one embodiment, the controller is connected to the lowering mechanism and is further configured to selectively signal the lowering mechanism to enter a pause mode or to enter a lowered mode. In one embodiment, the controller is further configured to signal the stage to move the extrusion head around an end of the tubing assembly, signal the extrusion head to move a layer extruding material onto the top edge of the end of the ducting assembly and, after the layer of material is extruded onto the top edge of the end of the ducting assembly, signaling the lowering mechanism to enter a lowering mode , to lower the pipe assembly a predetermined distance.

In another embodiment, a method for generating a plumbing assembly is provided. A ring of material is positioned relative to the extrusion head. The loop of material is connected to a lowering mechanism. Material is extruded on top of the loop of material to form the conduit wall of the loop of material. Iteratively, the loop of material is lowered a predetermined distance from the conduit wall and the material is extruded over the conduit wall to extend the conduit wall until the conduit wall reaches a desired length.

In one embodiment, said platform forms an opening, and said loop of material and said conduit wall are lowered through the opening in the platform. In one embodiment, the platform is in a body of water, such as the ocean, and the ring of material and the pipe wall are lowered into the body of water through openings in the platform.

Those skilled in the art can appreciate the scope of the present invention and further aspects that can realize them after reading the following detailed description of the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) system in the ocean;

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a system for generating plumbing assemblies according to one embodiment;

Figure 3 is a simplified diagram illustrating certain components of a system for generating plumbing assemblies according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for generating a pipeline assembly according to an embodiment;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a system for generating plumbing assemblies according to one embodiment;

Figure 6 is a more detailed perspective view of the system shown in Figure 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the system shown in FIG. 6, shown from a different angle than that shown in FIG. 6; and

8 is a rendering of a top edge of a duct wall of a duct assembly according to one embodiment.

detailed description

The specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, but they are only examples, and the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below. For those skilled in the art, any equivalent modifications and substitutions to the present invention are also within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, equivalent changes and modifications made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

For purposes of illustration, any flow diagrams discussed herein must be discussed in a certain order, but unless expressly stated otherwise, the described embodiments are not limited to any particular order of steps. The term "about" used herein in conjunction with a value means any value ranging from 10% greater to 10% less than the value.

The described embodiments relate to a pipe assembly system utilizing additive manufacturing. The described embodiment facilitates in-situ generation of a relatively long pipe with a relatively large diameter. In some embodiments, the conduit may have an inner diameter in excess of 4 meters (m) and a length in excess of 1000 m. Among other features, the described embodiments greatly reduce the time required to install cold water pipes (CWP) in ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) systems. The described embodiments also substantially reduce the size of the structures needed to assemble the CWP.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an OTEC system 10 in an ocean 12 . Certain elements of conventional OTEC systems have been omitted. The OTEC system 10 includes a CWP assembly 14 that extends from a surface region 16 of the ocean 12 to a deepwater region 18 of the ocean 12 . The CWP assembly 14 may include a weight, such as counterweight 20, that helps stabilize the CWP assembly 14 during operation. In some installations, the CWP assembly 14 may be anchored to the seafloor 22 .

In some embodiments, the CWP assembly 14 may have a longitudinal length of 1000 meters or more, and may have a diameter in excess of 12 feet. Conventional mechanisms for implementing the CWP assembly 14 include joining many smaller pipe sections together at the OTEC system 10 location, or molding multiple pipe sections at the OTEC system 10 location and assembling them after they are molded. Conventional manufacturing techniques suffer from a number of problems, including the amount of time required to manufacture the CWP assembly 14 and the amount of space required. Once the CWP assembly 14 is completed and implemented, the majority of the CWP assembly 14 is submerged and thus relatively protected from extreme weather, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and the like. However, during assembly of the CWP assembly 14, the CWP assembly 14 may be relatively easily damaged during extreme weather conditions. Thus, the longer it takes to manufacture the CWP assembly 14 , the higher the likelihood of severe weather damaging the partially assembled CWP assembly 14 .

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system 24 for generating plumbing assemblies, according to one embodiment. The system 24 is implemented on an OTEC platform 26 that forms an opening through which the CWP assembly may be lowered into a body of water, such as the ocean, as it is manufactured. The OTEC platform 26 may comprise, for example, a deepwater platform anchored at a deepwater location in the ocean, such as at a depth of more than 1000 meters. A controller 28 includes a processor 30 and memory 32 and is responsible for implementing and/or coordinating the various functions described herein. A lowering mechanism 34 is connected to the pipeline assembly being produced and, as described in greater detail herein, lowers the pipeline assembly through openings in the OTEC platform 26 into the body of water. The lowering mechanism 34 may comprise any suitable structure and assembly capable of lowering an object. In one embodiment, the lowering mechanism 34 includes a plurality of winches, each winch including a cable that can be selectively withdrawn or extended. The cable is connected to the pipe assembly and iteratively extended as the pipe assembly is manufactured to slowly lower the pipe assembly through the opening into the ocean.

The stage 36 is connected to the extrusion head 38 and is configured to move the extrusion head 38 according to the piping data identifying the geometry of the piping assembly. In one embodiment, the controller 28 accesses a data structure, such as a file containing pipeline data, and directs the gantry 36 to move the extrusion head 38 according to the pipeline data. The pipeline data may be in any desired format, such as a G-code format as a non-limiting example. A stabilizing mechanism 40 is configured to hold the tubing in a desired position during extrusion of material. The stabilizing mechanism 40 may comprise any suitable structure and assembly capable of stabilizing a pipe assembly, and in one embodiment, includes a plurality of rollers respectively positioned around the circumference of the pipe assembly and configured to Forces are applied to the tubing assembly from various directions so that the tubing assembly is held in a desired position. Typically, the embodiments generate the conduit assembly in a vertical orientation.

FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram illustrating certain components of system 24 according to one embodiment. The extrusion head 38 receives material, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE), from a material source (not shown). Any other extrudable material, such as thermoplastics, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or lactic acid polymer (PLA), as non-limiting examples, may also be used. The extrusion head 38 extrudes material onto the top edge 42 of the duct wall 44 of the duct assembly 46 . The pipe assembly 46 is held in place by a stabilizing mechanism 40 which in this embodiment comprises a pair of opposed roller guides. In one embodiment, the conduit assembly 46 includes a ring of material 48, such as a counterweight, that both provides a starting surface for depositing material to form the conduit wall 44 and provides weight to assist in stabilizing the conduit assembly. 46. When the pipeline component 46 is generated. The lowering mechanism 34 is connected to the material loop 48 . The ring of material 48 may comprise any desired material including, by way of non-limiting examples, aluminum, stainless steel or other non-corrosive metal, fiberglass, machined plastic, and the like.

During operation, the material loop 48 is first positioned relative to the extrusion head 38 and then connected to the lowering mechanism 34 . The controller 28 ( FIG. 2 ) directs the stage 36 to move the extrusion head 38 in a circular pattern according to the pipe data to form initial pipe wall segments on the loop of material 48 . Subsequently, the controller 28 iteratively controls the lowering mechanism 34 to lower the pipe assembly 46 by a predetermined distance, and then controls the stage 36 and/or the extrusion head 38 to form an additional pipe wall on the previously formed pipe wall segment section, thereby prolonging the length of the pipe assembly 46. This process is repeated until the duct assembly 46 reaches the desired length. In one embodiment, after the tubing assembly 46 has been produced to a desired length, the controller 28 controls the stage 36 and/or the extrusion head 38 to form a flange. The flange may have a larger outer diameter than that of the tubing assembly 46 and may be used to secure the tubing assembly 46 to another component in the OTEC system.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method of generating a conduit assembly 46 according to one embodiment. First, a loop of material 48 or other similar support structure is positioned relative to the extrusion head 38 (block 100). The loop of material 48 is connected to the lowering mechanism 34 in any desired manner (block 102). For example, the loop of material 48 may be manufactured with an attachment mechanism to which a cable of the lowering mechanism 34 may be connected. The extrusion head 38 extrudes the material on top of the material loop 48 to form a duct wall segment on the material loop 48 (block 104). The duct wall section may comprise a single layer of material. The thickness of the layer of material (ie, the height of each pipe wall segment) may depend on the particular material being extruded, but in some embodiments, the layer of material may be less than 1 inch thick. In some embodiments, the extrusion head 38 may be configured to heat the material. The lowering mechanism 34 lowers the duct assembly 46 a predetermined distance (block 106). The predetermined distance may be the same as the height of each duct wall segment extruded onto the duct assembly 46 . This process is iteratively repeated until the duct assembly 46 reaches the desired length (block 110). The pipe wall of the pipe assembly 46 is integrally formed. After the duct assembly 46 has reached a desired length, a flange may optionally be formed on the end of the duct assembly 46 (block 112).

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of system 24 according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a more detailed perspective view of system 24 shown in FIG. 5 . In this embodiment, the stage 36 includes a plurality of rods along which the extrusion head 38 is movable to extrude material over the tubing assembly 46 . The stage 36 is configured to move the extrusion head 38 to a designated location, such as around the top edge of the tubing assembly 46 . In this embodiment, the lowering mechanism 34 comprises four winch/cable assemblies (two are labeled) that are connected to the platform 26 and pass through openings in the platform 26 as the tubing assembly 46 is generated The plumbing assembly 46 is lowered into the body of water. In this embodiment, an enclosure 50 is open to the environment. However, in some embodiments, the housing 50 may be closed, and optionally the closed volume may be heated to aid in softening and extrusion of the material.

In some embodiments, the controller 28 controls the gantry 36 to move the extrusion head 38 based on piping data 52 that identifies the geometry of the piping assembly 46 . The stabilizing mechanism (not shown) holds the duct assembly 46 in the desired position. As shown, the duct assembly 46 may be created in a vertical orientation relative to the horizontal. The controller 28 selectively signals the lowering mechanism 34 to enter a pause mode or to enter a lowered mode. Specifically, in one embodiment, the controller 28 signals the lowering mechanism 34 to enter a pause mode to pause the vertical movement of the duct assembly 46 . The controller 28 controls the stage 36 to move the extrusion head 38 around an end of the pipe assembly 46 and signals the extrusion head 38 to extrude a layer of material into the pipe on the end of assembly 46. After the layer of material has been extruded onto the top edge of the end of the duct assembly 46, the controller 28 signals the lowering mechanism 34 to enter a lowering mode to lower the duct assembly 46 by one A predetermined distance, for example a distance equal to the thickness of the layer of material extruded onto the top edge of the end of the tubing assembly 46 .

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the system 24 shown in FIG. 6 , shown from a different angle than that shown in FIG. 6 . Among other features, FIG. 7 shows an opening 54 formed in platform 26 through which duct assembly 46 is lowered as it is being fabricated.

FIG. 8 is a rendering of the top edge 56 of the duct wall 58 of the duct assembly 46 according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, the duct wall 58 comprises a honeycomb structure. The honeycomb structure is characterized by the term void to material ratio. In certain embodiments, the void to material ratio varies along the length of the conduit wall 58 . For example, the void-to-material ratio at the bottom of the conduit assembly 46 may be greater than the void-to-material ratio at the top of the conduit assembly 46 . In particular, ocean currents and other forces on conduit assembly 46 may be lower in deeper portions of the body of water than in upper portions of the body of water. Accordingly, the lower portion of duct assembly 46 may require less structural integrity than the upper portion of duct assembly 46 and may require less material to create the lower portion of duct assembly 46 .

The void-to-material ratio of the conduit assembly 46 may vary continuously along the longitudinal length of the conduit assembly 46, taking into account the operating depths at which portions of the conduit assembly 46 will be located. Alternatively, the void-to-material ratio may be gradually varied along the longitudinal length of the duct assembly 46, again taking into account the operating depth at which portions of the duct assembly 46 will be located. The duct wall 44 of the duct assembly 46 may be of any desired thickness. In some embodiments, the conduit wall 44 may range from about 2 inches to about 2 feet thick. The thickness of the duct wall 44 of the duct assembly 46 may also vary along the longitudinal length of the duct assembly 46 . The particular void-to-material ratio at any point along the conduit assembly 46 may depend on a number of parameters including: desired axial stiffness, desired elasticity, desired hoop strength, as non-limiting examples and the required buoyancy at each respective depth along the tubing assembly 46 . In other embodiments, the conduit wall 44 may be a solid, non-cellular structure whose thickness varies depending on the operating depth at which portions of the conduit assembly 46 will be located.

The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but they are only examples, and the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. For those skilled in the art, any equivalent modifications and substitutions to the present invention are also within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, equivalent changes and modifications made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (24)

1. A system for generating a pipeline assembly comprising: a lowering mechanism configured for connection to a platform forming an opening, the lowering mechanism configured for lowering a duct assembly through the opening; an extrusion head configured for: receive materials; and selectively extruding said material through a nozzle; a stage connected to the extrusion head and configured to move the extrusion head to a designated position; a controller comprising a processor coupled to the gantry and configured to control the gantry to move the extrusion head according to tubing data identifying a geometry of a tubing assembly; as well as A stabilizing mechanism is configured to hold the tubing assembly in a desired position. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the extrusion head is further configured to heat the material. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the lowering mechanism comprises a plurality of winches, each winch comprising a cable, each cable configured for connection to the conduit assembly. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the material comprises high density polyethylene (HDPE). 5. The system of claim 1, further configured to generate the piping assembly in a vertical direction with respect to a horizontal line. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to direct the extrusion head to generate the duct wall of the duct assembly as a honeycomb structure. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the honeycomb structure is characterized by a void to material ratio, and wherein the void to material ratio varies along the longitudinal length of the conduit wall. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the void to material ratio is greater at the bottom of the plumbing assembly than at the top of the plumbing assembly. 9. The system of claim 1, further configured to generate the tubing assembly having an inner diameter greater than 4 meters. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to the lowering mechanism and is further configured to selectively signal the lowering mechanism to enter a pause mode or to enter a lowered model. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to: signaling the gantry to move the extrusion head about an end of the tubing assembly; signaling the extrusion head to extrude a layer of material onto the top edge of the end of the tubing assembly; and The lowering mechanism is signaled to enter a lowering mode to lower the tubing assembly a predetermined distance after the layer of material is extruded to the top edge of the end of the tubing assembly. 12. A method for generating a pipeline assembly, comprising: a ring of material is positioned relative to an extrusion head; said loop of material is connected to a lowering mechanism; extruding material onto the top of the loop of material to form a conduit wall on the loop of material; and Iteratively: 1) the loop of material is lowered a predetermined distance from the pipe wall; and 2) The material is extruded onto the pipe wall to extend the pipe wall until the pipe wall reaches the desired length. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising lowering the loop of material and the conduit wall through an opening in a platform. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising lowering the loop of material and the pipe wall through the opening in the platform into a body of water. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising stabilizing the pipe wall while extruding the material over the pipe wall. 16. The method of claim 12, further comprising extruding said material to create said pipe wall as a honeycomb structure. 17. The method of claim 12, further comprising extruding said material to create said conduit wall as a honeycomb structure; said honeycomb structure being characterized by a void to material ratio. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising extruding said material to generate said pipe wall as a honeycomb structure; said honeycomb structure comprising a The void to material ratio. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the void to material ratio of the conduit wall decreases along the longitudinal length of the conduit wall. 20. The method of claim 12, wherein the lowering mechanism comprises a plurality of winches, each winch comprising one of a plurality of cables, and wherein the loop of material is connected to the lowering mechanism , further comprising connecting the loop of material to the plurality of cables. 21. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming a flange on an end of the conduit wall, the flange having an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the conduit assembly. 22. The method of claim 12, wherein the loop of material comprises a weight. 23. A plumbing assembly comprising: An integral duct wall having a longitudinal length greater than 1000 feet; and The integrally formed duct wall has a honeycomb structure, the integrally formed duct wall is characterized by a void to material ratio. 24. The ducting assembly of claim 23, wherein the void-to-material ratio of the integrally formed ducting wall differs at at least two distinct locations along the longitudinal length of the integrally formed ducting wall .